Melanoma cutáneo

Abstract

The incidence of cutaneous melanoma is progressive increasing in the West due to sun exposure habits and a greater tendency of consulting for skin lesions. In Spain, approximately 6,179 new cases of cutaneous melanoma are diagnosed per year. Melanoma is a potentially curable pathology in its initial stages, which makes its early detection necessary. The majority of melanomas are detected by the patient. Lesions suspected of being melanoma by primary care physicians and dermatologists tend to be found in earlier stages, which increases survival. Surgical treatment of melanoma is fundamental to diagnosis, staging, and adjuvant treatment. Despite the fact that the majority of patients with melanoma are diagnosed in the initial stages, some patients present with distant metastases at the time of diagnosis and others will develop distant metastases following their initial surgery. In recent years, multiple clinical trials have been conducted which have led to the approval of drugs that have changed the evolution of its prognosis. Immunotherapy treatments with PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 inhibitors and targeted therapies with BRAF and MEK inhibitors have been shown to prolong overall survival in metastatic melanoma compared to chemotherapy, which has allowed for a change in the prognosis for this type of patient while maintaining quality of life.